Monday June 12, 2017

It’s that time of year again when friends and neighbors are able to give back to the Mountain House community in a BIG WAY. Thanks to the American Red Cross, the Annual Blood Drive will be stopping by on Wednesday, June 21st, to gather donations for those whose health and wellness depend on our generous contributions.

A big THANK YOU also goes to Angel Lamb and the MHCSD, who have coordinated and planned to keep the blood drive returning to Mountain House:

How long has Mountain House been hosting the blood drive? Angel Lamb: Our first Blood Drive occurred in February 2014.Are there any donation success stories you can share?AL: The success is just being able to give something of yourself that doesn’t cost anything but a few minutes of your time. I know that my blood type is O negative and recently I received a pin from the Blood Bank that says “I Save Babies”. It is nice to know that the things we have to give are special to those that we give to.

Why is it important for people to donate?AL: It is so important to give because when there are disasters, accidents, and even in routine surgery, things happen and someone may need that blood that you have given to continue to live. Throughout my life, I have had to undergo several surgeries, and I remember as I got older they would ask me to donate blood prior to my surgery so that in the event that it would be needed it was on hand for them to use. Thankfully it was never needed during my surgeries, but it was one less thing to worry about. We still have appointment times available, so please email me at alamb@sjgov.org to reserve your time for the Blood Drive.

According to the American Red Cross, here are a few important facts you should know about the dire need for blood in the United States.

Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.

Approximately 36,000 units of red blood cells are needed every day in the U.S.

Nearly 7,000 units of platelets and 10,000 units of plasma are needed daily in the U.S.

Nearly 21 million blood components are transfused each year in the U.S.

The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 pints.

The blood type most often requested by hospitals is type O.

The blood used in an emergency is already on the shelves before the event occurs.

It is estimated that sickle cell disease affects 90,000 to 100,000 people in the U.S. About 1,000 babies are born with the disease each year. Sickle cell patients can require frequent blood transfusions throughout their lives.

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1.69 million people are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in 2017. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment.

A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood.

If you would like to give blood, please contact Angel Lamb at 209.831.5651 or email her at alamb@sjgov.org. You can also visit the EVENT PAGE for further information. Save a life and donate here at Mountain House!